North Dakota Grain Inspection Service has been servicing the inspection needs of eastern North Dakota and Western Minnesota since 1968. Steve Adams, Owner of NDGI, has always been an avid supporter of the official system, promoting the official inspection system to all that would listen and through published articles. Steve’s efforts continue to pay dividends to this day. Today, North Dakota is a thriving family business. Steve’s tenets to provide accurate results, timely service, and always pushing to improve the company, have grown the agency from its North Dakota headquarters in Fargo to operations in eight states.

In 1999 North Dakota Grain Inspection Service, Inc. saw the opportunity to expand the scope of its enterprise and purchased Southern Illinois Grain Inspection, now known as Illinois Official Grain Inspection (IOGI). At the time, Southern Illinois Grain Inspection had been doing business in Illinois for 21 years. In 2003, NDGI expanded its services to Dickinson, ND and to South Eastern Montana. Most recently, in July of this year NDGI began operations in the area previously assigned to East Indiana Grain Inspection Service in Indiana and Ohio. With these acquisitions North Dakota now handles all forms of inspections from rail, truck, barge and containers. Their ability to grade all grains and their passion for accuracy and consumer service has driven a strong submitted sample business from other areas across the nation, even including Canada.

NDGI has grown from 3 employees in 1968 providing service to a small local area to over 150 employees in 2014 providing services to 8 states across the nation. Throughout the years, NDGI and IOGI have understood that change is a constant; the sooner change is embraced, the sooner success will follow, ultimately giving the customer the precise services needed at the appropriate time. With six regular offices and numerous onsite laboratories, day-to-day operations are managed by Steve’s son Mike at the Fargo headquarters. The third generation is also heavily involved. Mark is an inspector in the Fargo headquarters; Alex works in the Fargo office; Michael manages the office in Taylor, North Dakota, while Kia manages the entire agency’s quality program and works to make the agency more efficient.

North Dakota prides itself in the important role they play in the grain marketing system. The intensity found in the grain marketing system rivals and exceeds most other industries, although those outside the grain industry rarely know this. A small mistake by the agency can have huge ramifications for commission houses, grain companies and the railroads. Steve Adams realized that being in this critical point, between all these forces required North Dakota to continually look for better ways to provide timely service, and accurate results. Steve’s philosophy that has served the Agency well and continues today with Mike, Mark, Alex, Michael and Kia.

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